Hello

My Story

Life gave me cancer.  So I chose to do something with it.  

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It all started back in May 2024 when I noticed a lump on my right breast starting to get bigger.  I thought nothing much of it at the time, as I had a fibroadenoma in the same area that was biopsied over ten years ago.  As the weeks went by, the lump grew larger and larger.  It was on my mind that I should go to the doctor just to check what was going on, but life got busy, and I was completely unaware that it was possible for people my age at 34, that are also healthy, to get breast cancer.  I had no other symptoms, no breast cancer in the family and thought, that is something women over the age of 60 might get.  I also never had a mammogram and didn’t know the risks. I was just blind to everything there was to know about breast cancer.  Someone like me get breast cancer, nah not possible! Well, that mindset drastically changed of course.

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I finally decided in late July to go to the doctor.  The doctor scheduled me for a mammogram and ultrasound the same day, and the radiologist decided I needed to get biopsied after both tests, as there were three suspicious lumps on my breast and a few lymph nodes as well.  I was terrified but still thought there was no way this could happen to me.  A few days later I received the results – Invasive Ductal Carcinoma HER2+ and saw the words Metastatic as I was reading them in “MyChart.”  Devastation washed over me. I thought at that moment I was going to die.  My heart sank and my world was turned upside down. 

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At that point the stage wasn’t confirmed yet, but after a few tests later, the results came that I was confirmed stage 4 as the cancer had spread to my liver and bones.  I had about 21 tumors in my lymph nodes and bones plus too many spots to count in my liver.  I had cancer everywhere.  My oncologist gave me a prognosis of median five years to live.  I remember feeling so gutted and everything felt like a nightmare I was hoping I would wake up from.  But this was the reality. I would have to be on treatment for the rest of my life.  I started chemo right away so that I wouldn’t go into liver failure.  I did 18 weeks of Taxol and every 3 weeks I received the HER2+ immunotherapy drugs called Herceptin and Perjeta.  I shaved my head and lost my hair, changed my whole entire lifestyle, environment and what I was putting in and on my body.  I wanted to fight the heck out of this thing with everything I can control, in addition to conventional medicine. 

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My first scan showed significant improvement with remarkable response to treatment.  I was elated and could finally take a deep breath as I continued doing everything I could.  Then in December I had slight progression, which led me to switch to my second line of treatment called Enhertu that I receive every three weeks.  I have an aggressive form of breast cancer, but I have high hopes for the HER2+ drugs ongoing.  My latest scan showed positive response to this treatment and will stay on Enhertu for as long as it continues to work.  

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All through the ups and downs, my family and friends have been by my side.   For that I am forever grateful.  I’m currently single and live in Minneapolis, MN with my dog Obie.  I am originally from Albuquerque, NM where my parents and older sister currently live and they come to visit as much as they can. 

Outside of cancer, I love spending time with my family and friends, enjoy being active by either running, yoga, lifting weights, playing pickleball or skiing in the winter.  I love a good puzzle, enjoy traveling and being out in nature. I put daily focus on self-care, meditation, self-compassion and healthy living.  I believe in the power of belief and positivity to heal and through my experiences have learned how to be resilient through life's challenges. 

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Life has given me a lot challenges, not just cancer.  Although cancer is insurmountably the worst of it.  I was previously married and thought my life was going places, when I was blindsided by an affair and got a divorce in my early thirties.  I then had to pick up the pieces and build a new life for myself.  I also grew up always wanting a big family, but at that point in my divorce, I thought the reality of that might be slimmer, but still possible.  Then cancer hit me at age 34.  I was told I wouldn’t be able to have kids because I couldn’t be on treatment and pregnant at the same time.  I am in treatment for the rest of my life with stage 4.  The grief and trauma that I have been through has been incredibly challenging, in addition to dealing with cancer without a significant other by my side.  I have lost so much in my life due to circumstances outside of my control. 

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But through all this, there is so much still in my control, and they say when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. I say, when life gave me cancer, I’m taking my power back and doing something good with it.  Cancer and challenges in life can take a lot, but these challenges can also give so much.  I’m not grateful I have cancer, I will never feel that way. But I am grateful for what it’s given me.  A newfound perspective on life.   

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I'm also a big proponent of being your own self advocate.  I am so glad I trusted my gut to finally go to the doctor when I did, even though the outcome was stage 4. Things could have looked much different if I waited any longer.  I encourage everyone to go to doctor if something seems off in your body, no matter how small, or in my case, out of the realm of possibilities and the phrase "it can't happen to me."

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My passion today lies in creating a robust quality of life for myself with the years I have left to live, spending time with family and friends, building a community and uplifting others.  Uplifting Lemons is a forum to share insights and reflections on my journey with cancer and is a step for me in the right direction to build out my dreams.  Thank you for reading my story and being a part of my life journey.  

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